The Order of Time

The Order of Time

Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe.
With his extraordinary charm and sense of wonder, bringing together science, art and philosophy, Carlo Rovelli unravels this mystery, inviting us to imagine a world where time is in us and we are not in time.

Reviews

Not only a lesson on physics but also philosophy, poetry, biology, even music. . . After guiding us through the cosmos in his previous books, now Rovelli undertakes a journey that begins and ends with ourselves and the discovery of the greatest mystery: what is time? * La Repubblica * Do we exist in time or is it time that exists in us? To find out, we embark on a journey out of time with Carlo Rovelli, who knows how to speak to his readers' minds without ever overlooking their hearts * Corriere della Sera * The physicist transforming how we see the universe * Financial Times * A global superstar. . . Professor Rovelli is making the grammar of the universe accessible to a new generation * Channel 4 News * The new Hawking. . . His writing is luminous -- David Aaronovitch * The Times * The most fun physicist to be with -- as well as the greatest explainer of physics -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *

Author description

Carlo Rovelli is a theoretical physicist who has made significant contributions to the physics of space and time. He has worked in Italy and the US, and is currently directing the quantum gravity research group of the Centre de physique theorique in Marseille, France. His books Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Reality Is Not What It Seems are international bestsellers translated into forty-one languages.